Dispensing container

ABSTRACT

The present application discloses a dispensing container for supporting therein a tray providing structure for supporting a plurality of elongated bands. The container includes a dispensing opening through which one-by-one the bands may be removed.

United States Patent [191 Keilman 1 June 4, 1974 DISPENSING CONTAINER[75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Baxter Laboratories Inc., Morton Grove, Ill.

[22] Filed: Aug. 21, 1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 282,512

Michael R. Keilman, Algonquin, 111.

[52] U.S. Cl 206/72, 206/498, 229/17 R,

' 229/51 TS [51] Int. Cl 865d 1/36 [58] Field of Search 206/45.l 1,45.12, 45.14,

206/45.l9, 46 H. 56 AC, 65 F, 72; 229/9-11. 17 R, 19-20, 51 TS; 248/152,176, 371

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.103.241 12/1937 Bell206/45.14

2,710,484 6/1955 McGinnis 206/56 AC 3,124,248 3/1964 Geoffrion et a1.206/65 F 3,286,830 11/1966 Robb, Jr 206/56 AC PrimaryExaminer-William 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Richard G. Kinney; Samuel B. Smith, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT The present application discloses a dispensing containerfor supporting therein a tray providing structure for supporting aplurality of elongated bands. The container includes a dispensingopening through which one-by-one the bands may be removed.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 DISPENSING CONTAINER The present inventionrelates to an improvement in packaging systems. The inventionparticularly relates to a system including a packing sleeve and a traymember received by the sleeve for supporting in confined relation 21number of articles to be dispensed. The sleeve may have an opening fordispensing individually the articles supported by the tray.

Packages and packaging systems are known which function to support anddispense articles of many types. In fact, paperboard containers areavailable and are being used in increasing quantities for the packagingof a host of items. However the prior art, as far as is known, does notprovide a suitable type package or container with an internal supportmember upon which may be disposed a plurality of elongated band-typearticles and which may be dispensed individually.

The present invention serves to fill this need in packaging systems, andaccording to a first aspect provides a package or container which may befabricated from a blank of paperboard orother materialsuitable for suchfabrication. A member capable of supporting articles for removal isreceived by the container. The support member is formed such that thearticles are disposed in somewhat stacked overlapping relation wherebythe articles may be removed individually. The container may provide anopening initially closed by a removable tab through which the articlesmay be removed.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the support member may beprovided-with a plurality of fiat individual surfaces which are inclinedto the axis of the support. Each surface serves to support a portion ofthe elongated article which may be a clip or fastener of a band. Theband length extends toward one end of the member. Bands of substantiallength may be passed around the end of the member thereby to residebetween the support and the container inner wall surface. Each fiatsurface and the side walls of the member include a plurality ofabutments or projections. These serve to somewhat immobilize the articleas supported. The article may, however, be dispensed in the fashionoutlined above. i

As an additional aspect of the present invention, the container may beprovided with indicia or a suitable color code. The color code may beincorporated on the blank during manufacture or else may be in the formof an adhesive strip for application to the container. For example, thestrip may be affixed to an end flap. Color coding maybe desiredparticularly if the packaged article is to be dispensed only on aparticular day. In this connection a plurality of colors are selectedeach of which arbitrarily designates a particular day. The article willbe similarly coded to match the container.

There has thus been outlined rather broadly the more important featuresof the invention in order that the detailed description thereof thatfollows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that willbe described hereinafterand which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which thisdisclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designingof otherdevices for carrying out the sev- 2.. eral purposes of theinvention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded asincluding such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spiritand scope of the invention.

Specific embodiments of the invention have been chosen for the purposeof illustration and description and are shown in the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of the specification wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the dispensing sleeve and the supporttray member partially received therein;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of thetray member and a plurality of supportedarticles;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the tray member of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view in section as seen along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the unformed sleeve blank.

The packaging assembly 10 may be seen to best ad vantage in FIG. 1. Theassembly includes a sleeve member 12 and a rack or tray member 14 whichis slidably received in the sleeve.

The sleeve may be formed as a molded item or of paperboard material froma flat blank 16, as is seen in FIG. 5. Anyparticular board materialwhich may be first stamped to the pattern of the Figure and thereafterfolded to form a sleeve or container may be used. One necessarycharacteristic, however, is that the material be sufficiently sturdy tosupport itself and the internal contents including the member 14. Ablank formed of solid bleached sulfate, either regular or low density,or clay coated newsback may be used. The paperboard material may be of athickness of from 0.014 to 0.024 points. However, the preferredthickness is 0.016 points and the preferred paperboard material is solidbleached sulfate. Either low or regular density solid bleached sulfatemay be used.

The stamped blank is provided with a plurality of score lines 18, 20, 22and 24'thereby to define a pair of opposed-side panels 24 and 26, a toppanel 28 and a bottom panel 30. A side seam flap 32 is provided forforming the sleeve or container. The blank is provided at each end withadditional scoring 34 and 36. The manner and technique of scoring iscarried out in accordance with conventional practices.

A dispensing opening 38 is formed in the top panel. Preferably theopening of both ends is die cut with the cut joined by parallel lengthsof scoring. A finger opening 40permits the user to grasp the closure 42where upon a slight pulling force will enable its removal, opening thecontainer for article removal.

The container is fabricated in a manner as should be apparent. Thepanels and end tabs are folded about the respective score lines. Theintegrity of the sleeve is established by adhesively or otherwisesecuring the side seam 32 to the side panel 24. The closure flaps 44 and46 are received by the end tabs to close completely the sleeve orcontainer. A further flap 47 is formed at one end. This fiap may beutilized for color coding.

As noted, the tabs formed at the ends of the side panels are providedwith an inclined edge. The edges are suitably formed to facilitatereceipt of the flap between the inner surface of the respective top andbottom panels and the tabs themselves.

The rack or tray member 14 may be seen to best advantage in FIGS. 2-4.The tray is preferably formed of The rack includes a pair of spaced sidewalls 48 and 50, an end wall 52 and a channel area 54. Each of the wallsis hollow (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

The base of the channel area throughout a major portion of the length ofthe tray is stepped so as to include a plurality of flats 56. Theremainder of the length of the base of the channel area forming anextension of the last flat comprises an inclined ramp 58 whichterminates in an end shoulder or edge 60. Each flat is provided with acentral dimple 62. A pair of upstanding abutments64 are disposed atopposed sides of the flat removed from the end 52. The abutments arepreferably molded in the side walls. Means for detenting a portion of anarticle are provided, which means includes a projection 66 spaced fromthe flat molded in one side wall.

The particular packaging system which has been described may contain anddispense individually one of a plurality of band members having a clipor clasp which serves as a grasping portion in removing the article.This clasp or clip arrangement is at one end thereof. Such a band may beused for a host of purposes such asidentification of patients in ahospital environment.

The Figures illustratethe packaging of an article of this type. Moreparticularly, individual clips 68 are disposed'on the individual flats56 from the open end to the closed end. Provision may be made for thesupport of any number of clips and their associated band length which ispassed around the shoulder 60 to the underside of the tray. Theprojections 64 secure each clip against movement toward the open endwhile each projection 66 prevents rotation of the clip in one direction.Rotation in the other direction is prevented by the underside of theclosure 42 which prior to removal interacts with dip portion 72. Thedimple 62 will provide a well into which a-rivet or other means used toattach the band with the clip is received.

Theindividual articles may be dispensed after removal of the closure tab42, one article at a time from left to right (FIG. 3).

It is contemplated that other forms of packaging could also be employedto support'and dispense like articles. To this end the tray 14 could beenclosed with a flat lid thereby to obviate the need for the sleeve.Appropriately the rack or tray 14 would be closed at both ends in amanner as is end 52 (FIG. 2) and for strength the walls rather thanbeing of hollow construction will then be solid. Preferably theconstruction of the tray will be in the form of a tub. A flat lid willbe heat sealed to the surface 74 which in the embodiment frames all foursides of the open central area. As apparent, the surface will extendoutwardly on each side of the area.

A further form contemplates a tray or rack as in the preceding paragraphwhich may be closed by a sliding lid. To this end the tray may be formedto present a flat frame surrounding the central area on at least theopposed elongated sides. The slide along these opposed sides may have anedge doubled under the surface to form a track for sliding over the flatframe. To prevent the slide from moving past a closing position an endmay also provide a frame portion to interact with a further doubledunder edge.

Other modifications and forms will readily become apparent. Havingdescribed the invention, I claim:

1. In combination: at least a first, second and third-strip-like articleeach of which has a grasping portion and a thin strip extendingtherefrom and a package for said articles, said package comprising:

at least an elongated rack member, said rack member having an uppersurface and a lower surface and including at least a first, a second anda third receiving portion sequentially spaced longitudinally along theupper surface of the rack, said receiving portions being adapted toreceive an end portion of one of said articles; and wherein: said firstarticle has its end portion received in said first receiving portionwith its strip portion extended longitudinally along the upper surfaceof said rack to overlay said second and third receiving portions; saidsecond article has its end portion received in said second receivingportion to overlay the strip portion of said first article and saidsecond article has its strip portion'also extended longitudinally alongthe upper surface of said rack overlaying said third receiving portionand at least a portion of the strip portion of said second article; andsaid third article has its end portion received in said third receivingportion to overlay thereat the strip portions of said second and firstarticles and said third article has its strip portion extendinglongitudinally along the rack to overlay at least in part the stripportions of said second and third articles, whereby said articles arecompactly packed together in layers but said articles may be easilyremoved one at a time without substantially disturbing an adjacentarticle. 2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the overlayed stripportions of the articles are folded around the transverse end of therack member to also lie longitudinally along the lower surface of therack member.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein each of said articles include aclasp'at said end portion, and said rack member includes, at eachreceiving portion, means for detenting a received clasp so that theclasp is prevented from movement and any underlying strip portions arereleasably captivated therein.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said package also includes an outercover surrounding both said rack member and said articles; and

said rack member is made of plastic and includes a pair of longitudinalside walls which extend upward to provide a channel extending over theheight of the clasps and downward to provide a channel to receive thefolded-over strip portions.

5. The invention of claim 3 wherein said receiving portions on said.rack member are adjacent to one another and are formed with raised edgeportions such that the strip portion of at least some of said articleslie over raised edge portions as well as being under the detented claspsof certain adjacent articles.

* =k in 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PatentNo. 3 814:, 236 Dated June 4, .1974

Inventor(s) Michael R. Keilman It is certified that: error appears inthe above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

In the specification, column 2, line 49, cancel "of" and insert after"opening" at golntnni iine 51, cancel "the rack or"; line 54, after"construction of the" insert rack or Signed and sealed this 7th c lay ofJanuary 1975 (SEAL) Attest: v v

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. 0. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents F ORM PO-lOSO (10-69)

1. In combination: at least a first, second and third strip-like article each of which has a grasping portion and a thin strip extending therefrom and a package for said articles, said package comprising: at least an elongated rack member, said rack member having an upper surface and a lower surface and including at least a first, a second and a third receiving portion sequentially spaced longitudinally along the upper surface of the rack, said receiving portions being adapted to receive an end portion of one of said articles; and wherein: said first article has its end portion received in said first receiving portion with its strip portion extended longitudinally along the upper surface of said rack to overlay said second and third receiving portions; said second article has its end portion received in said second Receiving portion to overlay the strip portion of said first article and said second article has its strip portion also extended longitudinally along the upper surface of said rack overlaying said third receiving portion and at least a portion of the strip portion of said second article; and said third article has its end portion received in said third receiving portion to overlay thereat the strip portions of said second and first articles and said third article has its strip portion extending longitudinally along the rack to overlay at least in part the strip portions of said second and third articles, whereby said articles are compactly packed together in layers but said articles may be easily removed one at a time without substantially disturbing an adjacent article.
 2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the overlayed strip portions of the articles are folded around the transverse end of the rack member to also lie longitudinally along the lower surface of the rack member.
 3. The invention of claim 2, wherein each of said articles include a clasp at said end portion, and said rack member includes, at each receiving portion, means for detenting a received clasp so that the clasp is prevented from movement and any underlying strip portions are releasably captivated therein.
 4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said package also includes an outer cover surrounding both said rack member and said articles; and said rack member is made of plastic and includes a pair of longitudinal side walls which extend upward to provide a channel extending over the height of the clasps and downward to provide a channel to receive the folded-over strip portions.
 5. The invention of claim 3 wherein said receiving portions on said rack member are adjacent to one another and are formed with raised edge portions such that the strip portion of at least some of said articles lie over raised edge portions as well as being under the detented clasps of certain adjacent articles. 